Oh, where is he? I thought nervously, my eyes frantically scanning the crowded area. Carl had promised to meet me in the main cafeteria instead of going to the pep rally, and I had agreed. It sounded much more appealing than subjecting myself to that godforsaken mess of noise pollution. If only I could find him!
Self-consciously, I adjusted my clothes, tugging down my shirt and wrapping my jacket around myself tighter. "Bestie, I swear to God, I will tackle you if you don't show yourself right now," I mumbled underneath my breath, my words dissipating into the air.
As I continued my search, my heart skipped a beat when I spotted another familiar face. One that I had doubted I would see in school. "Pranav?!" I called out, hoping he would hear me. However, he seemed oblivious to my presence. "Pranav!" I called louder, throwing myself against the short wall to smile and wave at him. This time, he glanced in my direction, but his response was half-hearted, a mere wave of his hand.
"I heard you the first time," he called back, his voice barely audible over the noise of the crowd. I felt a pang of disappointment, but I brushed it off, reminding myself that Pranav had always been a bit distant.
I watched as he met up with two of his friends and headed off in the direction of the pep rally. Panic washed over me. I really should wait for Carl, but the desire to follow Pranav overwhelmed me.
Without a second thought, I rushed down the steps, nearly colliding with Samadhi. Her shy and quiet demeanor was evident as she blushed and offered a timid smile. "Hey, Samadhi!" I greeted, my eyes still scanning the halls for any hint of Pranav. "Are you going to the pep rally?" she asked. "Um... I don't know... are you?" I rushed, my mind preoccupied with finding Pranav. After a brief discussion, we both decided to head to the pep rally together.
I tried to subtly make my way through the crowded halls, my heart pounding in my chest, as I kept my eyes fixed on Pranav. Finally, he and his friends came to a stop by the vending machine, giving me another chance to talk to him. I took a deep breath, mustering up the courage to start a conversation.
"So..." I ventured, searching for a conversation starter, until I noticed Pranav's iPad in his hand. A mischievous smile spread across my face. "HA!" I laughed. "I knew you were an iPad kid."
Pranav's look both intimidated me and made my knees weak. "My backpack didn't have any more space," he explained, his voice defensive and annoyed. "And as you can see, I'm NOT on the iPad."
I giggled, trying to brush off my embarrassment. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," I replied.
Eventually, I turned my attention back to Samadhi, trying to resume our conversation, but her shy and quiet nature made it difficult to keep the conversation flowing. I tried my best to engage her, asking about her interests and hobbies, but her responses were often short and reserved.
Pranav and I had a long and complicated history. We had known each other since I was 13 and he was 15, and it hadn't taken me long to develop feelings for him. Unfortunately, he didn't feel the same way. Despite that, our relationship had always remained the same, filled with teasing and pushing each other's buttons. That was just how we worked.
Samadhi's presence was a comforting distraction from my swirling thoughts about Pranav. However, I couldn't help but notice his choice of clothing —jeans and a simple red shirt with a black sweatshirt over it. Unable to resist, I made a comment about it. "Wow, Pranav, going for the fashion statement today, huh?"
He shot me a look, his eyes sparkling with dark amusement. "Come talk to me about fashion when you get your hair under control." My hands flew up to my unruly hair, attempting to tame it, while he smirked.
As Samadhi and I made our way up the stairs, searching for the freshman section, Pranav looked for an open spot in the junior section. A sense of sadness washed over me, and I scolded myself for feeling this way. After all, we saw each other at taekwondo. I should have had enough of him. I thought irritably to myself.
As Samadhi and I settled into our seats, watching the energetic performance unfold before us, I couldn't shake feeling that coming to attend the pep rally was a mistake. My thoughts were consumed by Pranav, wondering where he was amidst the sea of students on the bleachers.